Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-04-08
x IN G
Solomon S Mines.

Two curious things struck us as we gaZed.
First that the country before US must lie at
least five thousand feet higher than the des
ert we had crossed, and secondly, that all
the rivers flowed from south TO north. As
we had painful reasons to know, there was
no water at all on the southern side of the
vast range on which we stood, but on the
northern side were many streams, most OF
which appeared to unite with the great river
we could trace winding away further than
we could follow it.
We sat down for awhile and gaZed IL
silence at this wonderful view. Presently
Sir Henry spoke.
Isn't there something on the map about
SoIomon's Great Road" he said
nodded, my eyes still looking out over
the far country.
well, look; there it is,'' and he pointed
little TO our right
Good and looked accordingly, and there,
winding away toward the plain, was what
appeared TO be wide turnpike road. We had
not see il ut first because it, on reaching the
plain. turned behind some broken country.
We did not say anything, at least not much:
we were beginning 10 lose the sense OF won
der Somehow IL did not seem particularly
unnatural that we should find sort OF
Roman road in this strange land. We ac-
ccpted the fact, that was alt.
Well" said Good, lit must be quite near
us II we cut of TO the right. Iiadn we bet
ter be making a START
This was sound advice, and as soon rs we
had washed our faces and hands In tile
stream, we acted on it, For q mile or SO we
made our way over powders and acros:
81. Of
the top of the little rise, there lay the road
ut our feet IL was a splendid road cut out
OF the solid rock, ut least fifty feet wide, and
apparently well kept, but the odd thing
about it was that 1t seemed to begin there.
We walked down and stood on it, but one
single hundred PAGES behind us, in the direc.
ton OF Shebas breasts. it vanished, the
whole surface Of the mountain being strewn
with powders interspcrscd with patches OF
snow.
What do you make OF that, Quatcrmany
rsked Sir Henry.
shook my head, could make nothing OF
IL.
II have - said Good; the road nG
doubt ran right over the range and across
the desert the other side, but the sand of the
desert has covered it up, and above us i las
been obItcratcd by some volcanic eruption
of molten lava
This seemed "A good suggestion; at any
rate, we accepted it., and proceeded down
the mountain II was a very different bust
ness travelling along down hill ON that mag
niiiccnt pathway with full sOnicllS to what
1t had been travelling uphl.l over the snow
quite starved aud almost fruZ.'u Indeed
had it not been tor melancholy ryculcctiOus
of poor NentvOgclS sad fate, and of thai
grim cave whcfr he kept company with the
Old don, We should have been positively
cheerful notwithstanding tho sense OF un-
known dangers before us Every mile We
walked the atmosphere grew softer aud
balmier, and the country before us shone
with vet more luminous beauty. As for
the road Itself, never saw such an engineer
Ing work, though Sir Henry said that the
great road over the ST. GOthard, in Switzrr-
land was very like it. No difficulty had
been too great for the Old World engineer
who designed II. At one place we came to Il
great rayine three hundred feet broad and ut
least a hundred deep This vast gulf was
actually filled IN, apparently with huge
blocks OF dressed stone, with arches pierced
ut the bottom for \ waterway, over which
the road went sublmcly on. At another
place 1t was cut in zigzags out of the side of
precpicc five hundred feet deep, and in
the third 1t tunneled right through the base
OF an intervening ridge space Of thirty
yards or more.
Here we noticed that the sides of the tun-
mel wcra covered with quaint sculptures
mostly OF mailed figures driving in Chariots
One. which was exceedingly beautiful, re-
presented u whole battle scene with CON
voy Of captives being marched off in the dis
lance.
Well said Sir Henry, after inspecting
this ancient work OF art, "it is very well to
call this SulomOn's Road, but my humble
opinion ~ that the Egyptians have been here
before Solomons people ever set foot on
it. Ii that isn't Egyptian handiwork, all |
have to say is 1t is very like it,"
BY midday we had advanced sufficiently
far down the mountain to reach the region
where wood was to be met with. First We
came TO scattered bushes which grew more
and more frequent, till Mt last we found the
road winding through a vast grove of silver
trees similar to those which are TO be seen on
the slopes of Table Mountain at Cape Town
| had never before met with them in all my
wandcrIngs, except at the Cape and their
appearance here astOnishcd me greatly.
"Ahl" said Good, surveying these shining
lcaycd trees with evident enthusiasm, here
Is lots u wood, let us stop and cook some
dinner; have about digestcd that raw
meat"
Nobody objected 10 this, SO leaving the
road we made our way to 4 stream which
was habbing away not tar OH, and soon had
goody fire of dry boughs blazing. Cutting
t..I a.
tho iuco which We had brought with us, we
proceeded Ia toast them on the on of sharp
sticks, as one secs the Kalirs do ana ato
them with relish. After filling ourselves.
We lit our pipes and gave ourselves up to
enjoyment, which, compared 10 the hart
ships we had recently undergone, seemed
almost heavenly.
The brook, OF which the banks were
clothed with dense masses of u gigantic spe-
cies of maidcn-hair fern ntorSpcrScd " It'll
fcathcry tufts of wild asparagus, hahbled
away mcrrily at our side, the soft air muir
INJURED through the leaves OF the silver trees,
doves coocd around, and ight'wingcd birds
flashed Ike living gems from bough To
bough II was like Paradise.
The magic of the place, combined with the
overwhelming sense of dangers left behind
and of the promised land reached at last
seemed Ia charm us into silence. Sir Henry
and umb0pa sat convcrsins in mixture OF
broken English and kitchin Zulu in low
voice, but earnestly enough, and Law, with
my eyes half shut, upon that fragrant bed Of
fern aud watched them. Presently missed
Good, and looked 10 see what had become of
him As did SO | observed him sitting by
the bank Of the stream in which he had
been bathing. lie had nothing on but his
flannel shirt, and his natural habits of ex-
treme neatness having reaSSertcd themselves.
was actively employed, in making most
elaborate toilet. He had washed his gutta-
percha collar, thoroughly shaken out hts
trousers coat and wliSt-cOa and was now
folding them up neatly till he was ready TO
put them ON, shaking his head sadly rs he
did 81 over the numerous rents and tears in
thcn which had naturally resulted from our
frightful journey Then lie took his boots,
scrubbed them with handful of ferns. and
finally rubbed them over with piece OF fat
which he had carefully saved from the inco
meat, till they looked, comparatively speak
ing, respectable Having inspected them
judiciouSly through his eyegaSS. he put
them on aud began fresh operation.
From little bag he carried he produced a
pocket comb in which was fixed a tiny look
ing glass, and in this he surveyed himself
Apparently he was not satisfied, for he pro-
ceeded 10 do his hair with great care. Then
came pause whilst le again contemplated
tho elect; still it was not satisfactory. lie
felt his chin, on which was now the accumu-
lated scrub OF a ten days beard. Surely. u
thought l. he is not going to try and
Ghav Kat 10 tN,,t-s -